Elections 2014: Arvind Kejriwal gets a taste of Mumbai and the 'Aam Aadmi'

Aam Aadmi Party founder Arvind Kejriwal travelled in a local train from Andheri to Churchgate yesterday, nearly causing a stampede; police had a tough time controlling the crowds

“Is this how people travel in Mumbai?” asked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) founder Arvind Kejriwal to other senior leaders of his party, when he came to Andheri station yesterday. Kejriwal, along with hundreds of AAP supporters, caused chaos at Andheri railway station.

Packed like sardines: Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal had a tough time boarding a local train at Andheri station yesterday. Pic/Sayed Sameer Abedi

With over 5 lakh commuters coming in and out of there daily, the additional influx of AAP supporters and media persons made it worse. Kejriwal took an auto rickshaw from the airport to Andheri station. A convoy of auto rickshaws followed Kejriwal from the airport to Andheri station, some of them carrying more than the allowed limit of three passengers. Three auto rickshaw drivers have been booked for violating the law.

Common ride: AAP founder Arvind Kejriwal took an auto rickshaw from the airport to Andheri railway station. Three auto rickshaws in his convoy have been booked for carrying more than 3 passengers. Pics/Sayed Sameer Abedi

The vehicles numbers are MH-03-BN-3011, MH-03-BA-7055 and MH-02-RA-3988. They have been booked under Section 21 (20) of Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Rules/177. The drivers have committed breach of provisions of Motor Vehicle Act.” Each of these rickshaws carried four to five passengers including Kejriwal in one of the rickshaws.

Boarding at AndheriHe reached Andheri station around 11.15 am on the east side, not before shouting slogans and sitting near poles of the skywalk. With the AAP supporters, congested road traffic and auto rickshaws, police and the traffic cops struggled to maintain law and order. The former Delhi CM went to platform number 2 around 11.20 am. Several of his supporters were hustled with the media, and the huge crowds threatened to turn into a stampedePeople were standing on the stairs of FOBs, climbed ladders of eatery counters and pillars supporting the roofs to click pictures of Kejriwal. The few railway police officials there proved to be less as compared to the supporters there. The entourage boarded the 11.26am Andheri-Churchgate train, which blasted its horns continuously as it entered the station.

As people stopped to watch his entourage, a huge crowd accumulated at Churchgate, with other trains pulling in and people alighting from them

A couple of railway policemen accompanied the motorman as the train pulled in. By then, people who until now were chanting slogans in praise of Kejriwal and against Congress and BJP, started getting in.

Funnily, Kejriwal was standing in front of the ladies’ compartment and in the whole chaos, almost entered. People shouted for him to stop and he eventually managed to board the second-class compartment, where he sat next to the window, facing the Borivli-end. His supporters sat and stood around him.

On his way to Andheri station

Camera crews climbed onto the seats, backrests and other areas to get a good bite or picture. The situation had become so chaotic that railway police had to stop common men from boarding this compartment right from Andheri itself.

As the train started within a couple of minutes, people began jumping on top of one another to get a glimpse of the leader. The police force seemed too less to tackle the crowds; there were barely four inside the coach. Gradually, more cops boarded from further stations.

“He asked me whether this is how people travelled in Mumbai,” said Mayank Gandhi, AAP’s candidate from Mumbai North West constituency. Some journalists and photographers felt dizzy and alighted at in-between stations. While other compartments were comparatively less crowded, one could hear people grumbling about politicians travelling in the train and inconveniencing people at large.

Chaos at ChurchgateAfter the train reached Churchgate station, problems continued for the commuters, as his followers began running around the platforms, so as to ensure ‘protection’ for Kejriwal. In the melee, many people jumped from one platform to the other. Yet another stampede-like situation arose, as other trains started pulling in and people started alighting in the limited space on the platforms.

As Kejriwal reached the concourse on the Marine Drive end, the huge crowds dragged along a couple of Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMD), which fell onto the floor.

People help re-erect the fallen DFMD frames

“There were too many people who tried to come out at the same time. So the DFMDs got displaced. But, they were soon put back and are now operational,” said Nitin David, spokesperson, Western Railway. Kejriwal then left for Nariman Point for some meetings.

Rally in Mumbai

AAP became one of the first parties to stage a rally for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Mumbai. Arvind Kejriwal, in an open-top jeep, and nearly 250 AAP workers, covered a distance of 4 km from August Kranti Maidan to Khilafat House in Byculla. He was accompanied by Mayank Gandhi, Meera Sanyal (AAP’s candidate from Mumbai South) and Medha Patkar. Cops guarded the contingent throughout. Kejriwal took to the mike only once, in Nagpada, where he addressed the crowds for a minute or so. Even at Khilafat House, he spoke for four minutes, alleging that the Congress and BJP used the minorities for their own benefit, and assuring that he would work for their betterment. Some people there expected an interactive session, but were disappointed when he left soon.— Inputs by Varun Singh

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9 Comments

K Singh13-Mar-2014

Many people are making hue and cry about activities of Aravind Kejriwal, but why don' they understand that Kejriwal's only objective till 16th May is only to get as many MP's in Parliament as possible, so that he can make corrupt person's life horrible. Had he any bad intention, he could have easily stayed Delhi CM like Hemant Soren of Jharkhand, Maharashtra CM, Manmohan Singh of India, etc. coalition governments. Can any body have any politician in Indian politics who have sacrificed so many

Look at Facts: AAP is the only party fielding uncorrupt candidates with strong social work. No tickets to family members, transparent funding, listening to people through jan sabhas rather than just making speeches, taking swift administrative actions instead of delaying due to technicalities, taking on the strong industrialists, police etc.
What more can the common citizen want ? Forget ideology cast/religion etc &support actions that take us out of the current mess.

Itika Singh13-Mar-2014

The zee news interviewed the auto driver who took AK in the auto. It was shown yesterday at 9.30 pm. He told that he was a AAP worker from Pune and it was all pre-planned well in advance, just the like the "krantikaari interview" with @aajtak. The AAP workers(for all 10 autos used) from Pune were informed in advance to come to Mumbai and the auto-number was shared with AK so that he could sit in the same auto of the AAP worker. They were paid Rs 500 for Rs.40 fare drive.he auto-driver innocently

Venkat13-Mar-2014

Kitne aaye , kitne gayee,lekin Mumbai ki log aise hi train mein travel karthe hai Mr Arvind Kejriwal ji and if you want to board a local from Andheri then board a fast local for Churchgate you will enjoy the ride truly

Kejriwal's hidden agenda is getting exposed each passing day. He lacks maturity and political understanding. Seems he has mastered the art to rouse public sentiment in the name of corruption. His fixed interview with Aaj Tak TV anchor is an example of his dubious personality. Let him admit he too has a political ambition and wants to go to any extent to achieve that.

Tanushree Dey13-Mar-2014

Typical theatrical style of Kejriwal he knows how to stay in the news. Media always obliges to broadcast the tantrums he so perfect performance in front of the common man. What are his achievement in Delhi beyond subsidized water and electricity for which now Delhi common man will have to pay higher cost on 1st April onward.He has proved he has nothing new to deliver beyond a great theatrical performance to win votes so he gets free house and other perks at cost of common man.